Upon hearing this, Yunling tiptoed to peer into the distance, trying to spot the large fruit shop.
"Uncle Cheng, after you finish eating the fruit, you can eat and drink to your heart's content, find a warm place to sleep, and when you wake up you'll be a hero again."
Chengbo slapped his thigh and said:
"Hey, you know what, a while ago when we docked in Mincheng, an old friend came to bring me some fruit. I hadn't seen him in a long time, and I was thinking of taking him out for a good drink and a get-together. But damn it, he said you can't drink while picking fruit, lest the fruit wilt from the smell of alcohol. You tell me..."
Yunling smiled with delight. She had seen freshly picked fruit before, still wearing their shirts, in groups of ten, arranged very neatly in baskets, as if afraid of damaging them and making them unsellable.
As the two chatted and laughed, they arrived near the state bridge. This state bridge was a stone bridge with bluestone pillars. There were stone beams, stone railings and stone pillars on the bridge, and the bridge walls were carved with various birds and wild animals, which were lifelike.
Compared to the Rainbow Bridge, this bridge is much more imposing. It's just a pity that the bridge is built too low, so merchant ships carrying fruit cannot pass through and can only dock at nearby ports.
Tang Ling and Gangzi had already tidied up the things in the cabin. They didn't take the remaining charcoal or the two wooden foot bath basins. The two thick cotton quilts were pressed and tied up again, and the cured meat was put into the bundle.
After the boat docked, Yunling bid farewell to Chengbo.
"Thank you for your hospitality along the way, Uncle Cheng. I wish you a safe and smooth journey home and good health."
"Alright, alright, pack everything up in the cabin so this old man doesn't get a free ride."
"Everything's packed, then..."
"Well then, pack up and hurry up and leave. Tonight, we'll tie the boat to a few ropes, find a warm place to sleep, and have a couple of good drinks. Don't delay our work here."
Yunling smiled as she disembarked, waiting alongside Gangzi and Tangling.
Lu Yinghuai and Chen Jie soon disembarked from the Lu family's merchant ship. Upon seeing Yun Ling, they hurried forward to greet her. Just as they were about to speak, Yun Ling spoke first:
“Young master, why don’t we go find a brokerage firm first? I’d like to rent a house near the Great Xiangguo Temple.”
Lu Yinghuai said with a smile:
“I’ve already had Zifu rent a house in advance. The location is good, with easy access to all directions. Why don’t we go take a look first? If Second Brother doesn’t like it, we can leave all this luggage here and go to the brokerage firm. Do you think that would be better?”
Yunling thought that made sense. Carrying big bags and looking travel-worn, if they went straight to the brokerage, it would be like they had "I'm from out of town and I'm in a hurry to rent a place" written all over their foreheads, which wouldn't be good for negotiations.
"Okay, let's go take a look first."
The group rented two donkey carts nearby and headed north towards the Imperial Street. When they reached Xuande Gate, they turned east. Apart from Lu Yinghuai and Tang Ling, this was the first time the other three had been so close to the Imperial Palace.
Yunling craned her neck to look inside and could vaguely see a few buildings in the imperial city. She was interested, but that was all she felt.
Entering the palace is like entering a deep sea; the square-shaped sky has wasted the youth of countless women. She disliked this kind of place, which was like a birdcage.
She sees herself as an eagle that can spread its wings and soar freely; how can an eagle be confined in a cage?
Yunling snapped out of her thoughts, and the donkey cart turned into an alley. Yunling was completely disoriented, but Tang Ling laughed and said:
"The location chosen by Young Master Lu is also quite good. The area around Dongjiaolou Lane has bustling markets, and it is close to Panlou Street, where people sell birds of prey, pearls, spices, silk, and the like, as well as Jieshen Lane, where gold, silver, and colored silk are traded."
"And over there, during the day there are many food stalls and seafood stalls, and at night there is a lively night market with shops selling clothes, antiques and curios. Further in, there are also brothels and entertainment venues. They must know that the young master is a playful person."
Yunling estimated that the house she was staying in was not far from Zhouqiao Bridge and Daxiangguo Temple. With Tang Ling's description, Yunling had a good first impression of the house.
The donkey cart turned another corner and stopped in front of a house. The house didn't look big, but it was surprisingly spacious inside. It was a simple three-courtyard house. There was a stable and horse barn at the entrance, then a front yard and the main house, and finally a back yard.
"Haha, if I could have a house like this in Bianjing, I would probably brag about it for the rest of my life when I go back to Pingcheng. I would tell everyone I meet, 'Hey, how did you know I have a big house in Bianjing? Well, it's not very big, just a simple three-courtyard house, which can only accommodate about ten or twenty people.'"
Gangzi's words amused everyone, and Zifu chimed in:
"That's right. This house is right under the emperor's nose and close to a prime commercial area. You couldn't get it for hundreds of thousands of strings of cash."
Yunling quickly asked:
"If that's the case, how much will the rent be?"
"What rent? This is our young master's house."
Lu Yinghuai wanted to stop it, but it was too late, so he could only smile and face it.
The other four were stunned, their eyes almost popping out of their sockets, but they were afraid that if they fell to the ground, they would get dust on the gilded house.
Gangzi murmured:
"But why are you the only one in this house? Are there no maids or servants?"
"This house is nothing more than..."
"Purple Fortune".
Zi Fu was stopped by the shout, fell silent, and put away her proud little tail, standing behind Lu Yinghuai.
Yunling naturally didn't miss the phrase "just a small house," so she figured it was just a small house under Lu Yinghuai's estate, and who knows how much more there was.
Good heavens, when he saw her return that mere three thousand strings of cash, did he feel like he was watching a beggar pull out three copper coins from a tattered pocket?
Yunling felt a little unwell, but the discomfort quickly dissipated.
Everyone's starting point at birth is different. What you think is an unattainable ceiling is often someone else's starting point. These are things that you cannot control, so why make yourself suffer?
Eat and drink as you please; at least you're less likely to get stomach problems, putting you far ahead in both physical and mental health.
"It's just one of them, my God, Gangzi. If we had known, we should have kidnapped him when we were on the ship, demanded a house as ransom, and then resold it. That way, once we arrived in Bianjing, we would have gone from chickens to phoenixes."
"Boss, there's no need to tie him up. Just secretly pour a little bit of our sect's secret poison into his cup. When he's suffering terribly, he'll naturally hand over the house deed."
“This harmful thing must not be done. I think when you saved him, you should have asked for a house or two to save as your dowry.”
"..."
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